SAF is a ‘drop-in’ fuel that can be used in today’s aircraft engines and refuelling infrastructure with only minor modifications. It is the only viable solution for decarbonising long-haul flights by 2050 – both hydrogen and battery-electric powered planes are coming, but they are potentially decades away. Aviation’s year-on-year emissions have been growing significantly faster than those of other transport sectors; UK aviation specifically contributes 8% of collective UK emissions. The sector needs to decarbonise to ensure we retain the economic and social benefits of flying.

SAF can be produced from a wide range of renewable sources, such as biomass, household or municipal solid waste, used cooking oil, algae or animal fats. It provides an alternative fuel solution to reduce the sector’s carbon footprint while decreasing dependence on finite fossil fuels that currently power the majority of commercial flights.

Lighthouse Green Fuels (LGF), located in Teesside, UK, is set to become Europe’s largest advanced SAF facility. LGF is being developed by Alfanar Group, a privately-owned conglomerate specialising in manufacturing, engineering, construction and integrated project development. LGF will process waste and biomass feedstocks.

How it works 
The facility will establish a robust and widespread national supply chain by procuring feedstock, such as household waste, waste wood and forest residues from various regions across the UK. Over 1mn t/y of waste or biomass feedstock will be processed, generating more than 130,000 t/y (equivalent to over 175mn litres) of SAF and over 20,000 t/y of green naphtha (equivalent to over 30mn litres). The plant’s production will account for more than 10% of the UK government’s 2030 SAF target of ~1.2mn tonnes.

The plant will utilise gasification plus the Fischer Tropsch (FT) route to convert waste- or residue-based feedstocks into Fischer Tropsch synthetic paraffinic kerosene (FT-SPK). FT-SPK is one of the ASTM-certified SAF production pathways, alongside deriving it from hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA), alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) and several others. Currently, FT-SPK, as a synthetic blending component, must be blended with conventional fossil-derived kerosene, up to 50%, in accordance with those ASTM D7566 standards. However, 100% usage of synthetic blending component in aircraft is envisaged in the near future, after further testing by aircraft engine manufacturers following the ASTM D4054 process.

Producing second-generation SAF from solid waste or biomass feedstocks involves a complex process involving several technologies, which are established but combined in an innovative way. Prior to conversion in the LGF plant, waste or biomass feedstocks are pre-processed to remove major contaminants such as metals or inert material.

The first step in the LGF SAF production process is gasification. Here, the solid feedstock is converted into a synthesis gas (‘syngas’) via a thermochemical process in the presence of oxygen and/or steam. The produced syngas is made up of predominantly carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H₂) and carbon dioxide (CO₂), with smaller quantities of methane and contaminant species. Following gasification, the crude syngas is cleaned in a series of conventional wet scrubbing technologies to remove major contaminant species and unwanted particulate matter.

In the syngas clean-up section of the LGF plant, adsorbent and catalytic process steps remove the residual minor contaminant species. Acid gas components, such as CO₂ and sulphur species, are also removed by the acid gas removal unit (AGRU). CO₂ removed from the syngas is purified to >99% purity, meeting the requirements for injection into the local carbon capture and storage (CCS) network in Teesside – Net Zero Teesside. LGF plans to sequester CO₂, subject to availability and access to the network.

Another key part of this section of the plant is the water-gas shift (WGS) reactor. In the WGS the ratio of H₂ to CO is adjusted to approximately 2:1. This ratio is required by downstream synthesis process steps.

Next, the ultra-clean syngas is directed to the FT reactor to be converted into liquid hydrocarbon waxes (also known as synthetic crude or ‘syncrude’). CO and H₂ are reacted over a cobalt-based catalyst at elevated temperature (150–300°C) and pressure (>30 bar) to produce long-chain paraffinic hydrocarbon molecules (waxes). Alongside the waxes the FT unit also produces a ‘tailgas’ made up of light hydrocarbons and methane. These valuable process gases can be recycled to other parts of the process to improve overall efficiency or generate power.

Waxes from the FT reactor are refined in the product upgrading unit, which contains similar process unit operations to a conventional refinery. The upgrading unit features a hydrocracker unit to break the waxes into shorter chain hydrocarbons falling into the middle distillates range (C10–C20 carbon chain length). Distillation is used to separate the FT-SPK and naphtha products. Off-gases from the upgrading unit are recycled or used to generate power. Final products are tested before being sent to a neighbouring tank farm for storage and export.

CCS integration 
Carbon capture is an important factor in producing SAF in the UK. The UK SAF Mandate (developed and administered by the Department for Transport, DfT) is carbon-scaling – meaning the lower the carbon intensity of the SAF, the higher number of SAF credits will be awarded. Carbon capture technology coupled with access to permanent storage (such as the Net Zero Teesside infrastructure) will enable LGF to significantly reduce the carbon intensity (measured in gCO₂e/MJ) of the product generated by the plant.

As explained in earlier paragraphs, the LGF plant must remove CO₂ from the syngas as part of the core process to produce a syngas suitable for conversion into liquid fuels. The plant is therefore inherently ‘carbon capture enabled’ – unlike other emitters who are ‘bolting on’ carbon capture technologies to abate their emissions.

If CO₂ storage capacity is provided to the LGF plant, hundreds of thousands of tonnes of biogenic CO₂ can be locked away. In this scenario, LGF’s product has a negative emission profile; that is, the production process removes more CO₂ from the atmosphere than it generates, thereby significantly accelerating the decarbonisation of the national aviation sector. The project’s greenhouse gas (GHG) assessments are developed by an independent third-party consultant and ultimately verified by the DfT in order for the project to receive the SAF credits.

LGF not only marks a milestone in SAF production on a commercial scale nationally, but also offers significant socio-economic benefits to the Teesside region by acting as a catalyst for economic growth. With a substantial £1.5bn investment, the project aims to establish an economic hub in Teesside related to renewable fuels. It will create over 1,600 jobs across in the region, fostering employment opportunities and supporting local communities.

Establishing a domestic SAF market will improve national energy security and avoid dependence on imported alternative fuels. Domestically produced SAF will help maintain lower ticket prices compared to relying on imported SAF. It will also reduce the economic cost to UK PLC associated with import fees.

The opportunity for the UK to become a global leader in SAF production is substantial. With the third-largest aviation network globally, contributing £22bn annually to the economy, and significant CO₂ storage potential, the UK is well-positioned for leadership in sustainable aviation.

LGF's Teesside facility serves as a crucial stepping stone, laying the foundation for the UK to secure a prominent position in the evolving market. The project’s ambition extends beyond this facility, as Teesside is to become the hub for Alfanar's new global transport decarbonisation division. By the time LGF starts commercial operation in 2028, Alfanar plans to have at least two more SAF plants under development, with an ambitious target of over 5% market share of European advanced SAF production by 2040.